MORE than 60 Carmarthenshire students were able to experience leadership and how decisions around budgets are made at the council.

Carmarthenshire County Council held its annual Insight event at County Hall on Thursday, January 25 and gave 66 pupils in years 10-13 from 10 of the county’s schools the chance to delve into the intricacies of budget policy decisions.

The students were split into teams and asked to put themselves in the shoes of the cabinet members for the day and to engage in discussions, preparations and presentations.

This provided a valuable insight into the roles of cabinet members and how the council operates and allocates resources.

Cllr Darren price, leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, said: “Today has been a great opportunity for us to hear the views of pupils from secondary schools from across the county. They’ve fed in their views in terms of our budget proposals, and the voice of young people is really important.

“There have been some fantastic ideas put forward today and we look forward to taking those on board as part of the consultation process.”

The council recognises how important it is to involve young people in the decision making process and the council will be taking feedback from the students on board as it closes the public consultation on the 2024/25 budget on Sunday, January 28.